institution, do what you can to ensure that we do not have that sequester take effect. do what you can. work hard to try and make sure we can address abuses taking place in the pentagon spending, but have what is necessary i do believe that having a president of one party and a united states house of representatives from another party creates an opportunity for us. we know that if my party have

won everything, it would have been tough for us because the political attacks would have taken place from the other side of the aisle to take on entitlements reform. now that we have a president of one party in the house of representatives of another party, i believe we can tackle this issue. that is really what we desire. it is the right thing to do. we are in the midst of tough negotiations taking place between two people -- the president of the united states, barack obama, and the speaker of the house, john data. i want to express my appreciation -- and the speaker of the house, john boehner. i want to express my appreciation to my colleagues. i have served in the minority. it is challenging.

it is not easy. we are 11 days away from going over the fiscal cliff. we feel strongly about the need of this institution to state its position on this. we heard the majority leader in the united states senate indicate that he does not want to bring up this measure if it passes the house of representatives. the president hu has indicated this bill would not gain his signature. i cannot think anyone is convinced that the bill we are going -- the president has indicated this bill would not gain his signature. i do not think anyone is convinced that the bill we are going to vote on will be passed. we believe mr. bennett has made some bold steps in working -- mr. boehner has made some bold

steps in working to make sure we cannot go over the fiscal cliff. -- do not cool over the fiscal cliff. the actions he has taken will be a positive stay tuned -- steps to enhance the chances. he paused itself -- the process has not been perfect. i will say this. if you look at what it is we have concluded, the $238 billion over 10 years reduction, the reconciliation package that passed this house earlier this year, you mentioned we have before us that will be debated separately here that is pared back from the measure that passed the house of representatives. the only changes made of and made to accommodate the data change, pushing in this month

of december the would-date -- date change, putting in this month of december. for those who believe this is imposing draconian cuts that will be devastating for those struggling in this country, i remind him of the alternative, which happens to be sequestered. it is our hope that this reconciliation package will ensure that the sequestered that would be devastating does not take place. this is the alternative to the sequester, mr. speaker.

we actually will exceed those rates. that is part of the 2003 agreement that we had. if any action we take that is less than that top rates of 39.6% is actually a tax cut. we need to recognize that. what we are doing here -- i appreciate the understanding of the minority -- is trying to move ahead with his good faith

negotiating process that speaker boehner and the president are in the midst of. i hope that in light of be balanced approach of this package -- this package has enjoyed status of support from democrats in the past from both the house and the senate -- i hope this can be a positive step as we seek to resolve as quickly as we possibly can this question. we all know uncertainty is the enemy of prosperity. our goal is to put in place policies that will have the kind of certainty that will encourage our darfur creators, and courage of those out there seeking to pick the would-encourage our job creators and encourage those seeking -- will encourage those of their seeking jobs.

thank you. >> mr. speaker, today we are watching and it tends to perpetuate a hoax. for everybody watching, to not bother to take notes. no need to call the family to see history being made here. just move along. nothing happening here. we have a plan that comes nowhere close to be a solution to the fiscal cliff. it has no chance whatever of coming off. the process that brought us here has been equally shameful. we are the greatest democracy on earth. it has been painful on the occurrence -- painful to watch the majority played their assigned roles pretended what we did last night was normal and legitimate. last night, we saw the youth greatest miscarriage of justice in the democratic process in

mind time on the rules committee. the majority decided to cobble together a last-minute legislation on a wing and a prayer. last night, the rules committee spent most of the evening debating legislation we have rarely seen. we were told there would be two bills. two bills were found on tuesday. one of them disappeared. in the waning hours, a third bill was stuffed into our lap. it turned out to be a warmth over bill destroy health care, food stamps, and almost every other possibility for people in the country to survive. that is called the majority wants to solve the greatest economic threat of our nation. with nothing less than millions of jobs on the line does the majority believe passing a bill in the stand 24 hours that will

do absolutely nothing is responsible governing. today we will debate on this legislation and possibly adjourned for the final time this year. if this is the majority's final attempts to reach a compromise, our nation faces frightening times. if no compromise is reached, we may face the greatest displacement of workers as the sequestration forces, as layoffs. how devastating is that to a recovering economy tumbled every american knows we cannot let this happen and every member of congress knows we never would let it happen. after last night, i am not so sure. this is not a serious solution to avoiding economic catastrophe. it is an attack on the poor and middle-class before we come together over the fiscal cliff.

today's bill contains many dangerous provisions. i mentioned part c that we got last night. it provides an average of $50,000 in tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. working families would pay an average of $1,000 more in taxes. 11 million families would lose a tax credit that helps them pay for college. drastic cuts related to medicare and important provisions of the affordable care act would be no more. they cannot adjourn this year without one more attempt to destroy the health care bill that will provide health care for millions more americans covered by insurance and they never have had before. during my last election, i meant more than one person who told me they had been born with cerebral palsy.

she told me her whole life, while she brought up a family, who lived her life driving a car, cooking, moving, everything we do and take for granted in life, she had to do it without any health insurance because having been born with some legal policy, she had a pre-existing condition. -- civil causing -- cerebral palsy, she had a pre-existing condition. why do we continue to be the only industrial country that does not take care of this people less -- but then that? millions of people would lose their unemployment -- becerra than that -- better than that?

the americans we are talking about are not the ones who crossed the problems in this country. they had nothing to do with the financial-services or shenanigans that brought us to our knees. yet continually, this house ask them through the majority sought to pay the price. enough already. they are not to blame and they should not be put on the block. just days ago, to stay in fact, it appeared that president obama and speaker boehner were close to a fiscal cliff compromise. president obama had made concessions, some that our side is not that crazy about. in the blink of an eye, the house majority decided to walk away in 51 seconds and introduce this political hoax that is before us today. mr. speaker, don't anybody be

fooled. the american people can see through this. they know a compromise means we must meet in the middle. unfortunately, the majority seems to think if they pass extreme legislation and run for the hills, the rest of us will be forced to give in. we have seen similar antics from the majority throughout the 112 congress. withholding the full faith and credit of this country for the first time in history losing our credit rating, to voting 33 times to repeal health care reform. the majority has continually advance a cynical and partisan agenda at the expense of our nation's welfare. given this, it is no surprise that the approval rating for congress is at an all-time low. historians have said it is the least productive congress in our history. mr. speaker, in the election

just last month, the american people made their voices heard. when asked to choose for -- to choose from an extreme agenda, they said no. they wanted not to be going over a fiscal cliff and they have made that clear. by debating this fiscal cliff as long as we have -- i do not believe we will go over it except i am not clear what we are doing here today. the majority has presided over shameful legislative processes. when our nation is in desperate need of serious solutions, the majority is doing everything in its power to avoid finding the answers. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to oppose the rule and the underlying

legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. >> the gentleman from california. >> i'd like to associate myself with her remarks that we hopefully will not go over the fiscal cliff. i would like to say that i can provide my friend from rochester, our distinguished ranking member from the rules committee, insurance and we will not be adjourning the congress today and ending our work.

i said in the rules committee, mr. speaker, that we are going to continue with our work. the action we are going to take as it relates to these two measures, the reconciliation package designed to ensure that we do not see sequestration, which we all knew would be devastating -- it is a package of $230 billion. it is a responsible measure that is not going to be getting -- gutting programs. it will be tackling entitlements reforms. >> will be representative yields? >> sure, i will yield. >> thank you for yielding. we were assured that the bill we were getting was the bill we would vote on.

all we got was doublespeak. >> if i can reclaim my time, i can say that i have served as long as the minority as john dingell. i have served longer in the minority and the dean of the house, john dingell, has served. i respect that fact. to say that we are not trying to get to an agreement is a mischaracterization of where we are, mr. speaker. i have associated my remarks with my friend from rochester to make sure that we do not see the sequestered take place or that we do not cool with the fiscal cliff and to say that the package we have the deals with the reduction of 238 cause billion is virtually identical to what pass this house. it is reduced by 100 pages.

it is much smaller than what was passed in may by this house. i believe it is a package that is one that can responsibly address -- to be a first step toward something we all know needs to be done. as i talk to democrats, there is recognition. entitlement reform has to take place. with that, i would like to yield two and a half minutes to my good friend, a strong budget hawks, my fellow californian. >> i thank my friend for yielding. mr. speaker, the debate over the fiscal cliff has become so hyperbolic that i am afraid we are losing touch with common sense. contrary to press accounts and statements by members, there is no bill before the congress are proposes raising taxes on millionaires or anybody else. there is a law that takes place

-- takes effect on january 1 that will raise taxes on millionaires and small businesses filing as millionaires and everybody else. there is a bill to protect everybody else from that law. that is the issue before us today. the president says he wants to protect everybody except those greedy millionaires and billionaires. that is precisely what this bill does. yet he has said he will veto it. he wants to sock everybody making over $200,000. that is 84% of net small business income. that is precisely the income they used to produce 2/3 of these jobs in our economy. the congressional budget office warns us that mr. obama's each of the rich crusade will result

in throwing 200,000 middle-class families into the unemployment. the ernst and young estimates 700,000 lost jobs. house republicans have a choice. we can try to save as many americans from these tax increases as the president will permit, or we can end up in an impasse that insurance taxes go up on everyone. let us pass this bill. if it does not work, let's pass whatever level the president will agree to. it is not as if we have not repeatedly warned him. some of my conservative colleagues say sparing some people these tax increases is tantamount to raising them on others. a lifeguard who seized tens lummis drowning off of his speech -- the would-swimmers drowned in office beach, if he can only -- swimmers john on his

beach, if he can only safe -- swimmers drowning on his beach and he can only save nine of them does not mean he is drowning the other one. this country will be a lot wiser. until then, less safe to we can. >> the gentleman's time has expired. >> i am please to yield three minutes for the distinguished gentleman, the gentleman from michigan. >> the gentleman from michigan is recognized for three minutes. >> he this is an important moment, an important moment. these bills move the nation dangerously closer to the cliff with only 11 days before our nation would go over it.

they make finding common ground far more difficult, with only 11 days left to find it. these bills are not a plan, they are a ploy. they are builds to nowhere. they undermine trust essential for agreement. we just heard. the republicans claim letting the tax rate go up from 35% to 39.6% on income over $1 million is not a tax hike because they would happen on its own. then they say that if the tax cut would go up on income below $1 million by having on its own, it would be the biggest tax increase in history. that is patently inconsistent. far worse than the hypocrisy is the way they designed their tax

provisions. for those with incomes over $1 million, they have provided tax cuts of at least $50,000. they raise only 1/3 of the revenue contained in the speaker's discussions with the white house and far less than proposed by the president. talk about undermining trust. they would raise taxes on 11 million middle-class taxpayers, a 11 million, through their failure to continue the education credit. they hurt millions of other middle-class families through their failure to keep the improvements of the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit. there is stony silence, in dean stone hardin silence on 2 million -- indeed stone hearted silence on 2 million workers who would lose their unemployment insurance on december 29.

in a deeply cynical move, so cynical, the republicans have decided to offer another bill to put off some of the sequestered in defense. they pay for it how? might keep an ugly cuts to important programs impacting seniors, kids, and disabled americans. the republicans are tying themselves into knots. in doing so, they are tying into knots the chances for our nation not going over the cliff. vote no on these bills that take us that course, that undercut trust, that increase -- take us back, that undercut trust. this is not a plan. it is a ploy.

>> the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california. i'd like to inquire of my colleague how many speakers she has. >> i would be happy to tell you. we expect four. >> the gentle lady from new york. the gentleman reserves. >> thank you. let me give the minister to the gentleman from massachusetts. >> the gentleman from last -- let me give three minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts. >> mr. speaker, just when i thought the process in this house cannot get any worse, the republicans reached a new low. we were originally told we were meeting on the speaker's so- called plan b tax bill, zapotecs tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of middle -- that he

attacks tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of middle-class families. i am not sure to call this one, plan b 2.0, plan c, we do not really have a plan plan? it is similar to the reconciliation bill the republicans brought to the floor and a few months ago. it costs $36 billion from thes.n.a.p. program -- the s.n.a.p. program. hundreds of thousands of kids would lose their access to free meals. the bill threatens medicare, children's programs, education, infrastructure. it threatens our economy as a

whole. it not only protect the pentagon budget, it increases and that billions of dollars. does anyone here believe there is not a single dollar to be saying to anywhere in the pentagon? the american people have spoken. they have made it loud and clear they want a balanced approach. they want to ask the wealthiest, most fortunate americans to pay a little bit more. it wants to protect our seniors, our children, and our most vulnerable neighbors. mr. speaker, let me say another thing about this process. i would say to my republican freshman colleagues, you rode to power on a wave of outrage over the way the house conducts its business. i would say to those freshmen, you own this now. you have officially become part of the problem if not the problem. they all take for this rule is a vote for an outrageous abuse of

-- a vote for this rule is a vote for an outrageous abuse of power. they have made it fashionable not to worry about the poor, the elderly, the vulnerable. i urge my colleagues not to turn your backs on the most needy. this balance our budget in a way that does not lower the quality of life or decrease the standard of living for of the people in this country. we can do so much better. you should be negotiating with the president. go back to the negotiating table and stop the games. i yield back my time. >> i yield five minutes to my friend from georgia, a hard- working member of the house rules committee. >> the gentleman from georgia is recognized for five minutes. >> i thank my colleague for yielding me the time.

when folks back home ask what is wrong with this place, i will start pay -- playing them a clip of this debate. there is a serious topic on the floor right now. i do not think there is a man or woman in this room with a voting card who does not think this is a serious issue for our economy, for working families, and for small businesses who were counting on bring us out of this recession. as we are down here trying to have that discussion, in the short 11 days we have to sort that out, i hear that our tax package, that does exactly what the president asks, though not as much as he asks for -- it chooses winners or losers, which i do not agree with. it does that.

when i ran as a part of his freshman class, i said let's make things more simple here. we know what happens at the end of the it. is anybody who watches this process in december knows the christmas tree bills -- we know what happens at the end of the year. i would be interested in knowing what folks who listen to this debate relief is happening in this underlying tax bill. i have been told by speakers on this floor that this tax bill throws americans off of unemployment. it does no such thing. do we need to deal with unemployment? yes we do, in an unemployment bill. i have been told this tax bill cuts payments to doctors. it does no such thing. there is not one line in this bill that does any such thing. do we need to deal with medicare? of course we do. do we need to tumble of these

things together in a straightforward tax bill? the answer is no. i am told by my friend that it is not just stony silence on these issues, it is stone hard to be silent. -- eston -- stone-hearted to be silent. do not tell me about violating trust. cannot tell me how it is folks ought to work cooperatively together. we have that opportunity right now and folks are throwing it away line by line by line. my friend from the rules committee comes to the floor and says this bill throws folks awful food stamps. nonsense. every single time i go to a town hall meeting, folks believe that

if only we eliminate the fraud in government, we will balance the budget. due to the standing both sides of the aisle are responsible for, we are out of balance. fraud will not do it. what the underlying bill does to eliminate the defense sequester cuts that president obama's secretary of defense call so dangerous, it says the only people should get food stamps are people who qualify for food stamps. that is right. the underlying bill says the only folks who should get food stamps are those who qualify for food stamps. it turns out, like every federal program, there is some fraud. some folks are receiving taxpayer sponsored benefits today who have not earned them, who did not find themselves entitled to them by virtue of their circumstance. because this underlying bill aims to eliminate that fraud,

folks come to the floor saying, why are republicans going hungry people out during christmas? outrageous that we cannot have a conversation about serious things in a serious time. the outrage that my colleagues on the rules committee 0.2 from last night -- what happened -- on the rules committee 0.2 from last night -- rules committee point to from last night. everybody knows the problem is not taxes, but too much spending. where are the spending cuts? the rules committee staff went to work immediately and found a package not that it had never been seen before or read before or vetted before, one that had

passed this body in a bipartisan way. the criticism from my colleague is right. we do need to do this and we did. >> i ran my friends and additional 30 seconds. >> i think my friend for the additional time. mr. speaker, this is nothing wrong way to do things. this is the right way to do things. to prevent american families from having an unprecedented tax increase, let's pass these bills. let's pass this rule. with that, i yield back the balance of my time.

>> your time has expired. the chair will receive a message. >> i am directed by the presence of the united states to deliver a message in writing. >> the gentle lady from new york. >> mr. speaker, i am pleased to yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from new york. >> the gentlelady from new york is recognized for two minutes. >> i rise in opposition to this rule in the underlying legislation. this measure punishes working families to deliver more tax breaks to the wealthy. under this legislation, those making under $1 million a year will receive an average tax cuts of $50,000. that is not the 1%. that is the top 1/3 of the 1%.

meanwhile, 25 million working families will pay an average of $1,000 more in taxes. for those families struggling to find work in this difficulty economy, this bill is equally bad. 2 million americans will lose unemployment benefits next month, pushing them out into the cold. retirees and seniors will also be hurt. with the 27% cut in medicare payments, 50 million seniors will see their health care in danger. mr. speaker, what the american people are watching right here, right now is a tragicomedy. the other side noticed that even if this legislation passes the house today, it is -- the other side knows that even if this legislation passes the house today, it is going nowhere. we are playing another game of political sure rates.

that -- political charades. that is not with the american people elected us to do. addressed our fiscal challenges while protecting working families. i yield back. >> the gentleman from california. >> may i inquire of the chair how much time is remaining on each side? i think the gentlewoman from new york might want to exhaust for time. >> i yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from texas. >> the gentlelady from texas is recognized for three minutes. >> i think the gentlelady, the ranking member of the rules committee. speaker, when i mention the words hurricane sandy, the wn, connecticut,

what do they have in common? an enormous gun strategy, the loss of 26 live, and americans suffering from a devastating storm. our hearts go out to those babies who were lost. it speaks to americans in need. that is why i am is so troubled to be on the floor today. the framework that we have a sense to america that when you are in need, we will not, as this congress and this government, be prepared to help you. i think what is disappointing, just about three days ago we thought there was a deal between the white house and the framework that was offered and the leadership of this house is is disappointing that in the

course of a couple of days, we have come to a situation when this plan, plan b, raises only $300 billion from high on -- high income households and it is suggested that millionaires will get $108,000 in tax cuts. but will the middle class in? plan b allows the bush tax cuts to continue the itemized deductions for the rich, giving them more opportunity to keep their money. in fact, we will loose for a hundred dollars billion under this plan in high income revenue -- louis $400 billion year under this plan and high income revenues.

if a senior vice chief food, that means they need cheap social security and we cut their social security benefits. we thought there was a deal. i cannot agree with that at all, cutting social security. and i cannot agree with recalculating how a senior it is their check. this plan raises taxes rather than reduce it as the president wants to do, as the democrats in the house wants to do and the senate bill. this raises taxes $1,000 on 25 million working families. then there is a mysterious and build the success we are in the business of making cuts. do you know what that will do? there is no sequester plan in this, the plan that is here. it cuts education, research, national security. it cuts hard-working americans who are employed and it cuts 2 million of them off of

unemployment insurance. >> the gentlelady is recognized for an additional 60 seconds. >> that i asked my friend to yield. i will yield her an additional 30 seconds. i just wanted to acquire -- inquire. we are dealing with a threats of a sequester. our idea is to a hundred $38 billion in spending reductions in the reconciliation bill that -- is $238 billion in spending reductions in the reconciliation bill that was passed last may. >> when we started plan b, there was no sequester plan. >> there was a plan to respond to be sequestered, a $238

billion plan in cuts. >> the original plan had no sequester plan. we were in the posture of cutting education and research. you are right. in the creative work of your staff, laid into the night, you found the reconciliation that had been addressed in the summer. all of us voted against it. we understand that that plan will have no traction in the united states senate. i think the gentleman for his work. i am suggesting there was no sixth just the west sequester plan in plan b. -- suggesting there was no sequester plan in plan b. this bill cuts payments to

doctors seem medicare patients. 50 million americans will have their health care in jeopardy. it cuts nutrition plans and food stamps. there is no plan. the quiet, it is, it is in disappointment, it is not in shrill debate, it is in simply disappointment. we have americans looking to us to work with the president, to work with the speaker, to go forward on a plan that was offered on monday and to find a way to be able to answer the question. to find a way to be able to respond to people like those from hurricane sandy can her connecticut call on us. >> the gentlelady's time has expired. >> i yield back. >> mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. >> let me yield myself 30

seconds to say that the bill that mysteriously appeared last night and passed the house in a bipartisan way -- let me point out a bipartisan opposition. no democrat voted for it and 16 republicans voted know. i yield to the gentleman from michigan. >> mr. speaker, i rise in opposition to this rule and the underlying bills. in the dead of night, five days before christmas, republicans introduced legislation they are rushing to the floor to get funding for health care, food assistance, and other vital services. christmas is a season of giving. but republicans are taking food off of the table of millions of americans by cutting food assistance by $36 billion. taking the unemployment lifeline away from 2 million americans who are trying to get back on their feet.

taking funding away from block grants that provide productive services for abused children. why would republicans insist on taking so much away from our families during this holiday season? so they can give an average $50,000 tax breaks to millionaires. i urge my colleagues to stand up for millions of children and workers who are facing in real cliff. vote no on the rule and the bill. >> at this time, i am happy to yield two minutes to a colorful calling from the ways and means committee. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thinking mr. speaker. let's review for everybody. we have in fiscal with the current taxes go up for everybody who pays taxes.

the bill was rejected on a bipartisan basis. our bill has been rejected in the senate. the president has not been serious. not in dollars for cuts today is an attempt to save most americans, 99.8% of americans, from seeing their taxes go up. 750,000 small-business owners will see their taxes go up if this plan is not plants -- passed in versus the other bill. those business owners employ many, tens of thousands of people in america, who are in the middle class. the bill before us is a comprehensive bill. it gives us certainty.

we have heard testimony after testimony from business owners. give us certainty. the democrats' alternative is one year. it is not comprehensive. we will be back here again in december of next year for the one-year patch. this gives us certainty. this gives job creates a certainty. it gives americans to pay the alternative minimum tax certainty that they will never pay it again. mr. speaker, this is the right medicine. from 99.8% of americans, to prevent them from seeing their taxes go up on january 1. it gives us an opportunity to provide comprehensive tax reform that will simplify our tax code, that will give us more certainty and our competitiveness so the middle class can grow and prosper and we can improve our economy. ideal that my time.

>> the gentle lady from new york. >> i am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from tennessee. >> thank you. i appreciate the time and the opportunity to speak on this measure. i am concerned about the fiscal cliff. it is important. president obama has tried to work with the opposition party and gone from what he was elected on, increasing taxes for fairness for people earning over 250,000 dollars, to $400,000. that was not enough. this proposal goes to $1 million a year. $400,000 is plenty comfortable and the president has gone a long way. there is a lot of revenue being lost between 400,001 million. we need the revenue to rectify some wrongs -- there is a lot of revenue been lost between

$400,000 and $1 million. i want to talk to you about how this fiscal cliff addresses the physical cliff. at duke university, there is a great lung transplant program headed by dr. robert davis. he needs more money and do need more money to perfect their lung transplant --duke it needs more money to perfect their lung transplant program. the transplanted long -- lung kids to be rejected. in my hometown of memphis, there is research at the methodist hospital. one of the finest liver

transplant doctors in the country. throughout the country, there are people like this fighting chores for childhood cancers and tell could catastrophic the west finding cures for childhood cancers and childhood catastrophic -- cures for childhood cancers and tell the catastrophic illnesses. data not know they may not be the person who needs that lung transplant or some other cure our discovery. there are people who will. this bill does not take that into consideration. any bill that cuts funding to the national institutes of health will cut people's live shorter. it is through that program that we find cures. doctors need to be paid.

hospitals need to be paid. research needs to be undertaken. i believe the president has gone a great distance of the fiscal cliff to get to $400,000. he is dealing with the most vulnerable people, on social security, which i oppose. the president has tried. i hope this bill fails and we deal with the present in a responsible way and we enjoyed the physical and the fiscal cliff. >> the gentleman from california. >> i yield one minute to the great member from the appropriations committee, our hard-working friend from savannah, georgia. >> i thank the gentleman from california. the president cones this economy. he owns the high unemployment

rate, the 23 million americans who are unemployed or underemployed. he owns the $750 billion annual deficit that he has had for them a years pay it is time for the president to step up. knowing this fiscal cliff was going to take place for well over a year now, the president has acted in good faith and put alternatives on the floor for us to vote on. what we are doing here today is moving a centralized negotiation back to where it should be come a decentralized basis so that house members can vote. the senate can take it and do whatever they want. this debate belongs inside the united states capitol. with the speaker is doing today is giving us that opportunity. last year, we heard so much

about the 99%. this will give tax cuts to the 99% in it is permanent. this is good for the economy. it is good for economic growth and i earned a yes vote on the rule. >> mr. speaker, i have no further requested comments. >> the gentleman from california. >> i will prepare to close as soon as my colleague does. >> the gentleman reserves his time. >> i cannot say it enough. plan b, plan c -- neither one of them is a serious proposal, but a gimmick to get headlines.

the time for these games is over. it is time for the majority to come to the table with a serious proposal that reflects the wishes of the american people. nobody wants to see taxes raised on 25 million working families. as i said earlier, they seem to be called upon to pay the price of the fiscal irresponsibility of the financial district. the american people do not want to see hundreds of thousands lose access to nutritional programs. data not want to see wall street reforms repealed an historic -- they do not want to see wall street reforms repealed. i strongly urge my colleagues to reject the gimmick before us today and returned to the serious work of balancing our budget while protecting the poor and the working class. if we proceed to the previous

question, i will offer an amendment to extend the middle class tax cuts to all persons making less than $250,000, which has been introduced in the house ashr-15. it would also -- as hr-15. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to put the amendment into the record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question. i urge my colleagues to attend no and voting -- vote no on the rule and the underlying question. i yield back my time. >> let me say we are 11 days

away from going over the proverbial fiscal cliff. we are trying our doggonedest to prevent us from going over the fiscal cliff. secretary panetta has said it would be a terrible thing for our nation's security. the negotiations taking place between the president and the speaker of the house of representatives is important. it is important for every member to have an opportunity to express what they stand on these issues. the bill has enjoyed bipartisan support. i remember when senator schumer the clear he believed there should not be an increase for anyone who earns under $1 million. i know there was a lot of discussion within the democratic caucus as to what that level should be.

this is the love of senator chuck schumer indicating he supported earlier on. -- this is the level of senator schumer indicate the supported earlier on. we are not planning to adjourn. we want to address this issue. what to do everything we possibly can to resolve this as quickly as we possibly can. we are a few days away from christmas. we are still here working. we are prepared to come back after christmas. sadly, many of our colleagues are going to the funeral of senator inouye. that will take place in high and has created a challenge to us as it relates to the schedule itself. we understand this is a difficult time. we need to work together to put into place pro-growth economic policies. as i said in my opening remarks, here is a bipartisan question to

that. i commend the president for his call for the reduction in corporate tax rate. the real tax reform, something we can do in a bipartisan way. real tax reform that would-real entitlement reform can be done in and his possible -- real income of reform can be done in a responsible way. we need to deal with a tough situation. we to know what our fellow americans to be hurting, especially during the christmas holidays. i believe we can see an agreement that will work to ensure that does not take place. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support the rule, to support the underlying legislation, the tax issue and

the effort to insure that we do not see a sequester take place to bring about $238 billion, as the house passed in may. this is the right thing for us to do to get on a path that will provide certainty, which we know is as the sun. i urge support of the rule. i urge support of the underlying legislation. ideal that the balance of my time. >> last night, speaker john boehner and house republican leaders pulled their fiscal cliff bill, known as plan b, because they did not have enough republican votes to pass it. this morning, the national rifle association will hold a news conference on the shooting in newtown, connecticut. in 45 minutes, we will get the